Video production has developed significantly since linear editing required the splicing together of sections of analog film. Video editing tools, such as Apple Corporation's Final Cut Pro, now allow considerable flexibility in the production of video from clips of digital images, audio and text. The current production tools allow non-linear editing (NLE) as the clip, audio and text components or items can be individually adjusted and effects applied to each item.
The current production tools, however, still utilise a time-based methodology related to their heritage from linear editing processes, whereby individual components are represented on timeline tracks for editing. Content is developed, manipulated and replaced based on timeline structures. Normally, the production tools use a series of parallel tracks for editing all of which are segmented by some form of time markers. Whilst this may be sufficient for professional video editors, who are able to utilise the tools to make fine detail adjustments to the content components, the time-based approach has considerable limitations when editing video at macro levels for different purposes, or tailoring a video for different recipients. Editing at this level would also benefit from a more simplistic user interface.
For the production of commercial or advertising messages, the current video editing tools have primarily been directed to meeting the advertising industry's demand for “reach” and “frequency”. Reach refers to the number of people a message reaches and frequency describes the number of times each person is exposed to a message. Reach and frequency are objectives that can be achieved by video messages for the traditional television, radio and press media. Labour, time and cost intensive video editing by professional editors can be justified if reach and frequency is desired. However, the development of digital communications networks and personal communication devices, such as the personal computer, personal digital assistant (PDA) and mobile or cellular telephone, has given rise to more desirable objectives which can now be achieved for advertising, being “personalised” and “version”. Personalised refers to producing a commercial message for a single person or a group of persons that are specifically tailored for that person or group. Version refers to repurposing an existing video message for a new purpose, or group of persons.
For personalising, versioning or more specifically repurposing a video, the use of time in current video editing tools is not the best segmentor of content, particularly when editing a video project file. For example, content for a particular product in a message may be spread over the entire length of the video with many different clip items, text items, audio items and associated effects. This makes it particularly difficult for a professional video editor, let alone an advertising campaign manager, to repurpose existing video files to produce a large number of new personal videos for a new product.
It is desired to address the above or at least provide a useful alternative.